It's no surprise that there is a lot of effort involved in planning a big event like a wedding or birthday party. And anyone who's ever planned this type of event is determined to make sure everything runs perfectly.
So after a 6-year-old boy destroyed the birthday boy's cake, his mom demanded reimbursement. She's now taken to Reddit, wondering whether she went too far with her request. What do you think? Read on to find out the whole story here.
Children's Birthday Parties
From friends and family to colorful balloons, mountains of presents, and cake, a child's birthday is probably one of their favorite times of the year. So it's not surprising that parents will do whatever they can to make it perfect.
And of course, one of the highlights for any child is being sung "Happy Birthday" and getting to blow out their candles. At least it should be.
Kids' Birthday Parties Can Be Like Herding Cats
At a birthday party for grown-ups, there usually aren't multiple parties competing for attention. Everyone understands that it's the birthday boy or girl's special day, and they act accordingly.
However, kids' birthday parties entail balancing the expectations of various kids, all of whom want some level of attention. Making it feel like a special day for the birthday boy or girl, all while making the other attendees feel special (but not too special!) is a delicate balancing act.
The Reddit Post
Reddit user CardNo4444 recently to a popular subreddit to get clarity on an incident that happened at her son's fifth birthday party.
She explains that her son hasn't had a real birthday party since he was 2 and therefore this would be the first party he'd remember. Wanting it to be special, they invited close friends and family.
A Case Of The Chaotic Cousins
One of the guests invited to the party was the mom's cousin (who's a single mother) and her "unruly" 6-year-old son. The mom adds that the child is "loud, disobedient, and a nightmare in public."
When it was time to blow out the candles, the boy stood behind the birthday boy. Fearing something might happen, the woman got her husband to stand guard nearby.
Random Guests Can Cause Chaos
At any birthday party, even one thrown for an adult, the potential exists for unexpected, random, last-minute, or even unknown guests. Most of the time, things go over smoothly — but in other cases, this wild card addition can throw a wrench into the proceedings.
At a kids' birthday party, it's important to make all kids feel involved. Here, though, one kid got perhaps a little too involved.
Temper Tantrums
After singing "Happy Birthday," the kid kept trying to blow out the candles. The husband repeatedly blocked his every move, and by that point, the kid was becoming frustrated. After the birthday boy blew out the candles, the kid "absolutely lost it."
"He threw a tantrum and slammed his entire arm into the cake, knocking it into the table. It was so awkward, everyone gasped and got quiet," she writes.
Keeping The Party Going
At this point, the birthday boy was distraught, but his father calmed him down by saying that they had a "special" cake just for him.
In an effort to keep things calm, he rushed to the store and purchased a new sheet cake for his son and the party guests. The mom then directed her attention to her cousin's disobedient son.
No Apology
The boy, his arm covered in cake, meanwhile was screaming and crying and his mother was nowhere to be seen. The woman cleaned him up and reminded him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he should apologize to his cousin.
"He screamed 'NO!' in my face and then ran away," she writes.
Confronting The Cousin
The mom then spoke to her cousin about the incident, but she brushes it off by saying "kids will be kids," which is something the mom strongly disagreed with.
"I've been to plenty of birthday parties where the other kids let the birthday boy/girl have their moment. I suggested she pay for the ruined cake and she looked at me like I was crazy," she writes.
Pay Up
She continues, "I told her how important it was to us that this birthday be special to my son since it would be the first one he remembered, and now all he would remember was that his cousin ruined his special moment."
Her cousin became defensive and refused to pay for the ruined cake, even accusing her of not being a "perfect mom."
Am I In The Wrong?
The mom sent her cousin a bill for the ruined birthday cake. Her husband believed she'd never pay for the cake and wanted to drop the issue, adding that as a single mom, they should cut her some slack.
The mom meanwhile writes, "I feel like that's just letting her and her son off the hook and this will lead to even bigger problems in the future if we don’t hold them accountable."
She's Never Getting That Money Back
Reddit voted and overwhelmingly found the mom to not be in the wrong. They agreed that while she was in the right to send her cousin the bill, she should accept the fact that she'll never be paid back, adding, perhaps it's a blessing in disguise.
"You're not getting that money honey, swallow that pill now...You are not wrong for wanting a special moment for your child, everyone wants their birthday to be special," one user wrote.
Cut Family Ties And Move On
Many users said that the mom should save herself headaches by barring them from future family functions. Others commented that the "single mom" excuse is a copout and that the boy is a brat because his mom refuses to parent.
"Believe me, when your son is older, he's going to remember 'oh yeah, I remember cousin Joe ruined my cake that year. I wonder if he's out of jail yet?'"
Everyone Sucks Here
However, not all Redditors were on the mom's side. One user said the mom and husband enabled the situation by restraining the cousin's son and therefore his tantrum was to be expected, adding that demanding to be refunded for the cake was "petty."
"My daughter also just turned five...At her birthday party, her cousin blew out her candles...You laugh, you re-light the candles if the birthday kid is upset, and you move on."